Combined cock and switch device



July 25, 1933. H. F. WOERNLEY COMBINED COCK AND SWITCH DEVICE FiledMarch 14, 1950 ATTOR EY Y E N R E m WE mm vR MA H Patented July 25, 1933UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY F. WOERNLEY, OF WILKINSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEST- INGHOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OFWILIEERIDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA I COMBINEDCOCK AND SWITCH DEVICE Application filed March 14, 1930.

This invention relates to combined cock and switch devices, and moreparticularly to that type used on railway cars for controlling electrictrain line circuits and for controlling 5 the operation of car coupleruncoupling mechanlsms.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved combinedcock switch device having means for insuring proper assembly of theseveral parts thereof.

'Another object of my invention is to provide a combined cock and switchdevice in which the plug valve of the cock portion may be removed andreplaced without disturbing the switch portion.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following more detaileddescription of the invention. I

In the accompanying drawing; Figure l is a sectional view of a combinedcock and switch device embodying my invention, taken on the line 11 ofFig. 2; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken on the lineof Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary cross sectional views takenon the lines and 4- respectively, of Fig. 1.

i As shown in the drawing the combined cock and switch device is of thesame general type as the cock and'switch device shown and described inPatent No. 1,269,253, of Thomas R. Brown, issued June 11, 1918, and ises pecially adapted for use in equipments of he type shown and describedin my Patent No. 1,571,222, issued February 2, 1926, although withslight modifications in the valve portion it may be used in theequipment described in the above referred to Brown patent.

l/Vhen my improved device is used in the type of equipment shown anddescribed in my aforementioned patent, the valve portion thereof willtake the place of the valve d3 of the patent.

The cock portion of my improved device may, if desired, be'made in theform of an angle cock such as is shown and described in Patent No.1,649,028, of Clyde 0. Farmer, issued November 15, 1927.

My combined cock and switch device comprises a switch portion 1 and acock portion Serial No. 435,765.

2, the cock portion being preferably arranged above the switch portion.

The switch portion may comprise a bracket 3 having a base portion 4provided with lugs 5 for attachment to a car body. Integral with thebase portion at and extending upwardly therefrom are three unevenlyspaced supports 6 upon the upper ends of which a cover plate rests. Thecasing of the switch portion comprises a flexible band 8 of sheet metalwhich is drawn and reinovably hold in close engagement with the baseportion l of the supporting bracket 3 and cover plate 7 by means of asuitable clamping mechanism 9.

Contained within the casing of the switch portion 1, and secured to oneof the supports 6, is an insulating member 10, and fixed to this member,are spaced contacts 11 and 12 which are connected to train line circuitwires 13 and 1% respectively. Two of such sets of contacts are shown,but it will be understood that one or any number may be employed, dpending upon the number of circuits it is desired to control by theswitch portion.

Also contained within the casing of the switch portion 1 are connectedcontacts 15 and 16 which are movable into and out of contact with thecontacts 11 and 12 respectively for closing and opening the train linecircuit or circuits as the case may be. These contacts 15 and 16 aremoved through the medium of an operating shaft 17 which, at its lowerend is rotatably mounted in the base portion aof the bracket 3. Theupper end portion of this shaft is secured, by a pin 18, to the lowerend portion of a coupling member 19, and this portion of the couplingmemher is journalled in the cover plate 7 thus forming a bearing for theupper end of the shaft.

The cock portion 2, as before mentioned, is arranged above the switchportion 1 and the casing thereof rests on the cover plate 7 and issecured to the supports 6 of the bracket 3 by stud bolts 20 which passthrough the casing and plate 7 and have screw-threaded connections withthe supports 6, the plate 7 being rigidly clamped between the casing ofthe cock portion and the upper ends of the sup ports 6. It will here benoted that since the supports 6 are unevenly spaced, the properpositioning of the cock casing is insured.

Mounted in a bushing 21 which is rigidly secured in the casing of thecock portion 2, is a rotatable plug valve 22 having a passage 23 adaptedin one position to register with ports 24 and 25 in the bushing 21 andestablish communication from a chamber 26 to a chamber 27, whichchambers, if the device is used in connection with the type of equipmentshown and described in my aforementioned patent, are respectivelyconnected by pipes 28 and 29 to a fluid pressure supply source such as amain reservoir and the mechanisms for re tracting the usual contactcarrier, the closing off of the flow of fluid through the train pipe tothe face of the coupler and the unlocking of the couplers.

The plug valve 22 is cut away at 30 and together with the bushing 21defines a passage through which the chamber 27 is con nected to apassage 31 leading to the atmosphere when the valve is in the positionshown in Figure 4.

The plug valve 22 tapers from its greatest diameter at its top to itsleast diameter at its bottom. Interposed between and engaging the topsurface of the valve and the inner surface of a cap nut 32 which hasscrewthreaded connection with the casing is a spring 33, the pressure ofwhich tends to maintain the valve in its proper position in the bushing21.

The axes of the shaft 17, coupling member 19 and plug valve 22 arepreferably in vertical alignment. Preferably integral with the plugvalve and depending from the lower end thereof and slightly oifset fromthe center of the valve, is a. rectangular lug 34 which is received in acorresponding groove 35 formed in the upper end of the coupling member19.

The upper end portion of the coupling member 19 is received in a recess36 formed in the casing of the cock portion, which recess is enlarged at37 to receive a horizontally disposed projection 88 which may be in theform of a pin carried by the upper end portion of the coupling member.

For the purpose of rotating the coupling member 19 and thereby the plugvalve 22 and shaft 17, a removable handle 39 is provided, which handle,for a portion of its length, extends between the casing of the cockportion and the cover plate 7. The inner end portion of the handle isprovided with spaced jaws 40 adapted to operatively engage oppositesides of a rectangular portion 41 of the coupling member 19, saidrectangular portion 41 being located intermediate the ends of themember.

The handle adjacent its inner end is provided with an upwardly extendingprojection 42 which is adapted to be received in a groove formed in thecasing of the cock portion, which groove has a portion 43 radiallyarranged relative to the axis of the coupling member and a portion 44which is concentric with the periphery of the coupling member, the outerend of the portion 43 being open. This groove permits of the easyremoval and replacement of the handle when the handle is in neutralposition as shown in the drawing and prevents the removal thereof whenit is in uncoupling position.

As shown in the drawing, when the handle is in neutral position, thepassage 23 of the plug valve 22 will be out of registration with theports 24 and 25 of the bushing 21 and the flow of fluid from the chamber26 to the chamber 27 is closed off and the chamber 27 is vented to theatmosphere by way of the port 25, space 30 between the plug valve andthe bushing, and the passage 31. Further, with the handle in neutralposition, the switch contacts 15 and 16 will be in contact with thestationary contacts 11 and 12 respectively, thus closing the train linecircuits.

When the handle 39 is operated from neutral position toward uncouplingposition, the contacts 15 and 16 are moved out of contact with thestationary contacts 11 and 12 respectively, thus opening the train linecircuit or circuits to the face of the usual contact carrier, afterwhich the continued rotation of the plug valve 22 by the use of thehandle 39 brings the passage 23 of the plug valve into registration withthe ports 24 and 25 in the bushing 21 so that the chamber 26 is incommunication with the chamber 27 and fluid under pressure supplied tothe chamber 26 through the pipe 28 may flow to the uncoupling mechanismby way of pipe 29.

In assembling theswitch portion 1, the movable contacts 15 and 16 aremounted in their proper positions relative to the shaft and then thelower end of the shaft is seated in the base portion 4 of the bracket.The lower end of the coupling member 19 is now passed through thebearing opening in the plate 7 to such-a position that the projection 38engages the upper surface of the plate 7. The plate and coupling are nowlowered so that the slot in the lower end of the coupling memberreceives the upper end of the shaft 17. Now when the coupling member isin its proper position on the shaft and the plate held against theprojection 38 there will be suiiicient room to insert the securing pin18. After the pin 18 is inserted, the plate 7 is permitted to movedownwardly covering the ends of the openings in which the pin has beeninserted. The cover plate 7 and easing of the cock portion 2 are securedin place by the bolts 20. Should the coupling 19 be mounted in the wrongposition relative to the movable contacts 15 and 16, the casing of thecock portion will engage the projection 38 carried by the couplingmember 1.9, and by reason of such engagement, the casing will not seatproperly, so that the workman assembling the device will know that thecoupling member is-not mounted in its proper position and that theposition of the coupling must be changed so that the projection 88 willbe within the enlar ed portion 37 of the recess 36, thus insuring theproper positioning of the coupling.

After the casing and cover plate are secured in place, the bushing 21and plug valve 22 may now be inserted through an opening in the top ofthe casing. Now since the coupling can only be in its proper positionrelative to the contacts15 and 16, and the lug 34: of the plug valvemust extend into the groove 35, the proper positioning of the plug valverelative to the contacts 15 and 16 is insured. With the plug valvepositioned, the spring 33 is placed on the upper end thereof and finallythe cap nut 32 is screwed into the casing, compressing the spring 33.

If desired, the several parts of the cock portion 2 may be mounted inthe casing separately from the switch portion and then be mounted on theswitch portion as a unit.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided acombined cock and switch device in which the proper positioning of theseveral parts thereof is insured and in which the plug valve of the cockpor tion thereof may be readily removed and replaced without removingthe switch casing or the cock casing and without removing any portion ofthe switch mechanism.

lVhile one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been describedin detail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to that embodimentor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A combined cock and switch device comprising a cock portion and aswitch portion, a rotatable valve included in said cock portion, aswitch included in said switch portion, a shaft for operating saidswitch, a member through the medium of which said shaft and valve aresimultaneously rotated, said valve and switch having predeterminer fixedpositions with respect to each oth er, and a projection on said memberadapted to be en gaged by the cock portion to prevent the cock portionfrom being operatively connected with the switch portion when saidswitch is not in its proper position in initially assembling the device.

2. A combined cock and switch. device comprising a cock portion. and aswitch portion, a rotatable valve included in said cock porti on, aswitch included in said switch portion, a shaft for operating saidswitch, a member through the medium of which said shaft and valve aresimultaneously rotated, said valve and switchhavim predetermined fixedpositions with respect to each other, a projection on said memberadapted to be engaged by saidcock portion to prevent the cock portionfrom being operatively connected with the switch portion when saidswitch is not in its proper position in initially assembling the device,and a lug on said valve adapted to operatively engage said member onlywhen said member and valve are in their proper positions relative toeach other.

A con'ibined cock and switch device comprising a cock portion and aswitch portion, a casing for said switch portion, a rotatable switchoperating shaft contained in the switch casing, a casing for said cockportion, a plug valve in said casing, said valve tapering from itsgreatest diameter at its top to its least diameter at its bottom, and amember connecting said valve and shaft and through the medium of whichsaid valve and shaft are adapted to be rotated, said valve being adaptedto be removed and replaced without disturbing either of said casings orsaid member.

A combined cock and switch device comprising a cock portion and a switchportion, a casing for said switch portion, a rotatable switch operatingshaft contained in the switch casing, a casing for said cock portion, aplug valve in said casing, said valve tapering from its greatestdiameter at its top to its least diameter at its bottom, and a memberconnecting said valve and shaft and through the medium of which saidvalve and shaft are adapted to be rotated, said valve seine adapted tobe removed and replaced through an opening in the top of the cock casingwithout disturbing either of said casings or said member.

5. A combined cock and switch device comprising a cock portion and aswitch portion, a casing for said switch portion, a rotatable switchoperating shaft contained in the switch casing, a casing for said cockportion, a plu valve in said casing, said valve taper ing from itsgreatest diameter at its top to its least diameter at its bottom, and amember connecting said valve and shaft and through the medium of whichsaid valve and shaft are adapted to be rotated, said valve being adaptedto be removed and replaced from tie top of the cock casing withoutdisturbing the other parts of said devices.

6. A combined cock and switch device comprising a cock portion and aswitch portion, a casing for said switch portion, a plurality ofunevenly spaced supports included in said casing, and each supporthaving a tapped recess for the reception of a securing bolt, a casingfor said cock portion supported by said supports and having openingsadapted to register with said tapped recesses when the cock casing is inits proper position relative to the switch casing, and bolts securingthe cock casing to said supports.

7. A combined cock and switch device comprising a cock portion and aswitch portion,

tive engagement with the switch means, said valve being adapted to beremoved and re placed through the outer end of said bore withoutdisturbing either of said casings or said switch means when the meansfor main training the valve in engagement with the switch means isremoved from the casing of the valve portion, and means for rotatingsaid switch means.

HARRY F. VVOERNLEY.

